EU is regulated by a supranational institutional system, which still takes into account the national sensitiveness. Nevertheless, there is not a traditional strong supranational authority. Indeed, there is neither army nor police, and the decision making process is mainly based on consensus; and sometimes in case of major decision, the unanimity is then used. The national weight is a guarantee for stability. The national law has a priority on the communitarian one, and the EU can intervene only in case of higher efficiency, according to subsidiary's part. Historically speaking, European Union exists so as to improve many fields. It insures a political stability, based on dialogue, peace, and democracy. The EU has made a liberal area, to increase the various exchanges and the mobility of fund, person, goods and services. The European integration is both a question of enlargement and of deeper relationship. The European integration keeps on going, because of the common interest to increase its efficiency. The liberal trend is likely both to increase the economic growth and to decrease the social policy. It then gives a strong legitimacy to the European politic, the goal of which is to regulate the market, satisfying the most possible the population. Moreover, the enlargement events translate a spreading of the European integration will. Because the EU construction is a national question, because its evolution indirectly depends on the national governments, because the national interest is often more important than the European one, because the public support to European construction is depending on the national governments, it clearly appears that the national weight is capital. This is the reason why I think it is all the more important to grasp the state part, played in the EU integration, above all concerning the key States, such as France, Germany, and the new comers. Moreover, the European integration is a question of deepening integration and enlargement. The potential new MS should give a new balance among the EU.
[...] There is a European pressure on the national field, because one state can break the will of 24 other member states. Anyway, the German government of Angela Merkel is still openly acting to increase the integration, but also to strengthen a tighter relationship. Germany is already under a federal organisation, and then, is not really attached to the national system: delegation of power, and share of competence are both on the national and the European scales. Germany is then not facing a hard contestation among the Germans concerning the EU issues. [...]
[...] The national crisis underlines a European one. There was an automatic condemnation, which was a good way to avoid wondering on the personal responsibilities. The deeper integration is very fast (common Euro currency, common constitution . but there is any precise goal. France and Germany do not share the same vision on the EU integration, but the public opinion agrees on the fact that EU represents a danger for the social rights. They are partly wrong, but the lack of clear explanation, of pedagogical approach is not the best way to change mentality. [...]
[...] Conclusion To sum up, the European integration is depending on a political national will, which is itself depending on powerful nations, such as the couple France and Germany. Nations agree to strengthen their collaborations. The deeper integration, namely the enlargement and the deepening law basis, weakens the national governments, but in the same time, strengthens the economic benefits of each country. The liberal theories have already proved their efficiency, but are sometimes hardly culturally accepted. The European integration is then a long [...]
[...] This is the reason why it can potentially leads to an identity crisis, both on the national and the European fields. The enlargement potential is so huge that it can sometimes appear to a non-controlled evolution. Croatia, Turkey, and even Morocco are said to be potential members; the two first are already official candidates. Croatia is currently facing a poor level of economy, but should certainly integrated Europe in the coming decades. The case of Albania is far more complex; because of the high degree of corruption, and the economic cadence. [...]
[...] EU is well perceived as soon as it is a way to defend or improve the national interests. Otherwise, the situation reaches a deadlock, or generates high tensions. If Germany considers the EU's integration as a kind of redemption, to forget the errors from the wartime past, France perceives EU positively when it is synonym of security. Of course, French government is really opened to the European perspectives, and commonly agrees on its potential; however, the social dimension as the national one, are important to influence public opinion. [...]
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